Order filed December 1, 2022.

In The

Fourteenth Court of Appeals

NO. 14-22-00698-CR

IN RE JONATHAN A. KNOX, Relator

ORIGINAL PROCEEDING

WRIT OF MANDAMUS

179th District Court

Harris County, Texas

Trial Court Cause No. 879527

ORDER

On September 9, 2022, relator Jonathan A. Knox filed a petition for writ of 

mandamus in this court. See Tex. Gov’t Code Ann. § 22.221; see also Tex. R. App. 

P. 52. In the petition, relator asks this court to compel the presiding judge of the 

179th District Court of Harris County, to grant his motion for forensic DNA testing 

and ballistic testing and his motion for accrued time and hold an evidentiary hearing. 
Relator’s petition does not comply with the applicable Texas Rules of 

Appellate Procedure. See Tex. R. App. 52.3(j) (requiring relator to certify that every 

factual statement in petition is supported by competent evidence in appendix or 

record); Tex. R. App. P. 52.3(k)(1)(A) (providing that appendix must contain

certified or sworn copy of any order complained of, or any other document showing 

the document complained of); Tex. R. App. P. 52.7(a)(1) (requiring relator to file 

with petition certified or sworn copy of every document that is material to relator’s 

claim and that was filed in any underlying proceeding); Tex. R. App. P. 52.7(a)(2) 

(requiring relator to file with petition properly authenticated transcript of any 

relevant testimony from any underlying proceeding, including any exhibits offered 

in evidence, or statement that no testimony was adduced in connection with matter 

complained of). To be a “certified or sworn copy,” in accordance with Rule 52, the 

document must be certified by the trial court clerk or attached to either a properly 

prepared affidavit or an unsworn declaration. See also Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code 

§ 132.001(e) (providing that unsworn declaration from inmate may be used in lieu 

of written sworn declaration, if it is made under penalty of perjury and includes 

inmate’s name, date of birth, identifying number, and prison unit, and city, county, 

state, and zip code of prison unit).1 

1 The form for the unsworn inmate declaration is:

 My name is ___________________ __________________ __________________,

 (First) (Middle) (Last)

my date of birth is _________________, and my inmate identifying number, if any, is

___________________________________. 

I am presently incarcerated in _____________________________________________

 (Corrections unit name)

in ________________, _______________, ________________, _______________.

 (City) (County) (State) (Zip Code)

I declare under penalty of perjury that the foregoing is true and correct.

 Executed on the _________ day of _______________, _______________.

 (Month) (Year)
By this order, the court gives relator 45 days’ notice that the petition will be 

dismissed for failure to comply with Rules 52.3(j), 52.3(k)(1)(A), 52.7(a)(1), and 

52.7(a)(2) unless the deficiencies are cured. 

PER CURIAM

Panel consists of Justices Spain, Poissant, and Wilson. (Wilson, J., Notice is not 

required before dismissing a petition for writ of mandamus. See In re Kholaif, 624 

S.W.3d 228 (Tex. App.—Houston [14th Dist.] 2020, orig. proceeding) (Frost, C.J., 

dissenting)).

 ______________________________________

 Declarant

Tex. Civ. Prac. & Rem. Code Ann. § 132.001(e).